Just Like You
by CappySam
Summary: What happened after Juliana told Kayley she was not to go search for Excalibur.


**Note:**I'm not sure where this came from, but I had the idea of there _obviously _being a little story behind Juliana and Lionel's marriage, and this was my little of way of including some of the ideas I had along with Juliana's struggle with raising someone like Kayley.

**Just Like You**

"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Juliana exclaimed.

"But _mother,_Excalibur is missing! I must go after it!"

Kayley looked at her mother earnestly who was continuously looking from Kayley to the white dress in her hands.

"That's a job got the knights! Not a young girl!" Juliana brought the dress over to her daughter.

"But I want to be knight!" she whined "Go on grand adventures, fighting evil, rescuing damsels in distress!" Kayley pulled away from the plump woman who was trying to take her measurements. "What is a damsel anyway?"

Juliana wanted to smile at her daughter's attitude towards, well, all of it. But that would only encourage Kayley in her dreams of finding the sword. Enough that Juliana feared her daughter might run away to go find it. She just needed to keep Kayley grounded here at their home. But it was growing harder each day, ever since her father had died.

"Now Kayley," Juliana started as she tossed the dress over her daughter's head "stand still and try on your new dress."

She watched Kayley struggle to get her arms through the sleeves and head through out of the fabric.

"Mother! I don't want a new dress! I want to save Camelot!" Kayley pulled away from the picky hands that tried to primp her. "If you just let me, I know I could find Excalibur all on my own!"

Juliana finally let Kayley pull away. Juliana's brow furrowed.

"The knights will find the sword and they'll do it by working together!" _How do you expect to do it on your own?_ she wanted to ask, but wouldn't. That would just edge Kayley further than she wanted her to go.

Kayley grabbed her father's round shield from the man who had taken it from its spot above the fireplace.

"While I'm working here! Doing the chores, fetching the eggs, taking care of the house. Boring!" And again, Juliana wanted to smile. Her daughter was so against her own life, always fighting what she inevitably had to do. Juliana truly did admire Kayley's spirit and strong headedness.

Juliana softened her tone. "Kayley, one day you will learn what Camelot means... till then, you'll stay here with me."

Kayley shoved away from her mother. "Oh alright!" she quickly pulled the dress over her head, letting it drop to the floor, and fled outside.

Juliana stared at the door for a long moment, and then sighed. "Could I be alone?" she asked the other two in the room. They glanced at each other nervously then went outside. Juliana turned around to the tapestry hanging on the wall. It was of her, Kayley, and her late husband.

"What would you do?" she whispered. A cold breeze ran through the room. Juliana closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them. The breeze was gone, and she still stood alone staring at the picture.

_Juliana._

A familiar voice said. For a moment Juliana's heart stopped. It was a voice she hadn't heard in years, and to hear it now... she had to be dreaming. Yet she knew she wasn't.

"I... I miss you." she said aloud, hoping that she hadn't just imagined it.

_I know._

Juliana stumbled backwards and collapsed into a hard wooden chair, burying her face in her hands.

_Don't cry._

"Why can't she understand?" Juliana asked. That's all she wanted, was for Kayley to understand she was trying to keep her safe. If anything happened to Kayley, Juliana wouldn't know what to do.

_She will. Just give her time._

"No... I've told her so many times, and she still doesn't understand." Juliana looked at her hands. "She just doesn't listen!"

It was the low laugh that sent tears from her cheeks. She missed that laugh; she'd give anything to have him back. Even now, hearing his voice, it just wasn't enough.

_You were the same at that age._

"No! I was never so difficult!"

And he laughed again. _You were just as head strong and against tradition._

A smile was creeping onto Juliana's face.

_You asked me to teach you how to use a sword._

"You said no."

_You would've hurt yourself._

Juliana had been a clumsy girl, she couldn't blame him for not allowing it. If she remembered correctly she'd gotten over that fairly fast then moved on to her next desire. "Then it was horseback riding."

Juliana could still feel the pain from the many bruises she'd received from falling off the horse. She wanted to go fast, but she didn't know how to stop. One time she'd lost control and her leg had been rammed in between the horse and a wooden pole. She'd never felt any pain like that, but he was there for her. He helped her home, wiped away her tears, he had taken care of her.

_You wanted us to run away from home and live out the adventure in stories._

"That was different." Juliana argued.

_Was it?_

Not really. But she liked to think it was. She'd always wanted to leave that village, but had been to afraid to ask. When her mother had started setting up a marriage, Juliana was suddenly filled with all the courage and spirit in the world. It was the same courage and spirit that she saw in her daughter and was continuously diminishing.

"I'm just like my mother, aren't I?"

_No._

But Juliana could see some of her mother's traits in her. The way she tried to push things onto Kayley, her mother had been an expert at that. And every time Kayley yelled at her it was like a stab in the heart, but the worst part was that Juliana felt she deserved it. Juliana had morphed into her own mother. "I am."

_You're not._

Juliana sighed. "Then why can't I get through to her?"

_Because she's your daughter._

Juliana ran her hand through her hair.

_She'll understand one day. Her dreams are just to big for the life she leads. Give her a chance._

"It's dangerous. She could get killed. She's just a girl! The knights will find Excalibur, it's what they do! _You_would have found it by now."

He laughed. _Give her a chance._

Juliana couldn't just tell Kayley she could go and find Excalibur. It was insane. It'd be sending her daughter into certain death. Where would she even start anyways?

"She's just a baby."

_Juliana._

_Juliana._

"Juliana?"

Juliana whipped her head towards the door, hopping up and standing straight.

"Who are you talking to?" asked the worried woman.

"No one..." Juliana turned her back to her to face the tapestry again, looking at the brown haired man. "Just... talking to myself."


End file.
